By James Rogol Cavalier Daily Senior Writer
A pastel feline crept across the movie screen in 1963 accompanied by what would become one of the most recognizable film musical themes of all time. Although recent years have seen him hawking Owens Corning insulation, the ongoing 40th anniversary celebration reaffirms the "cool" nature of the Pink Panther.
Riding a wave of Retro 50s (and early 60s) chic, "Pink Panther's Penthouse Party" compiles the latest in neo-Lounge music with Henry Mancini's iconic score. Naturally, his familiar tenor saxophone riff opens the album with style. Although the shortest of the 18 tracks, Mancini's jazz sets the tone for all which follow.
While the beauty of Mancini's original lies in its jazzy simplicity, four other artists seek to enhance it, or at least reinterpret it for the new millennium. The first and the last of these, the Fischerspooner and Malibu mixes, complicate the theme with an electronically-composed bass line and drum beat. St. Germain, though, takes a far more successful route, exploiting the existing horns and rearranging them with a touch of ska and a reggae-esque rhythm section.
Though this trio preserves the general feel of the original theme, it is Chris Mancini who truly does his late father's work justice. He blends the score of the second film in the Pink Panther oeuvre, "Shot in the Dark," with another Henry Mancini tune, the theme from television's "Peter Gunn." Although it falls short of the masterful incorporation of the latter with The Police's "Every Breath You Take" for the third season of "The Sopranos," the younger Mancini encapsulates the silky smooth essence of the originals.
Fortunately for the listener, the five versions of "The Pink Panther" theme are nicely spread out across the album. That way, even though each track is vastly different from the next, the album fails to become repetitive. Quite the opposite, for each version of the theme sounds fresh in comparison with the adjacent songs.
Part of the vivacity comes from the eclectic nature of the disc's other 13 tracks. In fact, there's a distinct European vibe coming from them, since a good deal of the tracks are French in origin. While this might put off the average American, it functions in the context of a lounge era from which the disc draws its inspiration.
A number of recent selections are also included, namely Fatboy Slim's "Weapon of Choice." Although enjoyable in its own right, "Weapon" does not suit the overall suaveness of the rest of the tunes. This is especially true in comparison to the other vocal cuts, which are less influenced by music of the past 20 years.
Take, for example, "The Girl from Ipanema," a classic bossa nova standard. The version that appears on the disc is unfortunately not the original by Getz, Gilberto and Jobim. Instead, it is an abomination of what used to be "The Girl from Ipanema." Pizzicato Five stagger through the piece, inducing whiplash with the time changes and sheer irritation with the whiny vocals.
In contrast, the remix of Peggy Lee's "Fever" is nothing short of fantastic. Touched up with little more than a new beat and a few samples of piano and horns, the Gabin remix improves on the original without rendering it unrecognizable. More importantly, it oozes an irrefutable, polished sense of cool representative of the late 50s.
The smooth simplicity of the music is also manifested in the packaging, which is as much a work of art as the disc itself. Hip pop artist Shag lends his clean, solid pastels to the three panel panorama of the titular "Penthouse Party" on the inside of the booklet/case in addition to the figures gracing the front cover. His graphics enhance the overall feel of the compilation, giving listeners a synthetic taste of the music inside.
It does take a unique taste to enjoy this genre, for it can very easily come off as synthetic or cheesy. However, for those who have seen "Catch Me If You Can," and enjoyed its visual and aural stylings, "Pink Panther's Penthouse Party" is likely to please.
Most importantly, don't confuse the "Party" of the title with some high energy dance party. This "Party" is meant for a more relaxed atmosphere, and perfectly accompanies a mixed drink. Simultaneously fresh and retro, innovative and classic, this cool collection is likely to surprise and leave one pleasantly shaken, if not stirred.
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